Finding a Job: How a Recruiter Can Kick-Start Your Job Search
Looking for a new job? Your timing is right. Today’s market is a good time to look for something new — if you know where and how to look. But this raises a couple of questions to ask yourself: Is the go-it-alone approach the most effective way of finding a job, and would working with a recruiter to help me find a job be a smart decision?
Not necessarily to the first question, and a simple “yes” to the second one.
There might be plenty of jobs out there, but they’re not all good jobs. If you’re like most job hunters, you’ve been disappointed with many of the open roles you see on job boards or by the responses to your applications, or maybe you’ve been underwhelmed by the offers you’ve received. And when you do see an attractive opening, it’s been difficult to muster the energy to write yet another cover letter and tailor yet another resume after a long day of work, house chores or other responsibilities.
That’s where a professional job recruiter can help.
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In any market, when it comes to finding a job — that is, finding a good job — two heads are better than one. Whether you’re seeking a permanent, contract or contract-to-hire role, and whether you prefer it to be remote or onsite, working with a specialized talent solutions firm can open doors and boost your search.
Having a top-notch job recruiter in your corner is like having your own personal advocate, someone who can help you find the ideal role, prepare for the interview and negotiate the salary. Plus, you’ll pay no fee.
By connecting with a recruiter to help you find a job, you’ll be working with someone who knows the ropes and can help you get the kind of job you’re seeking. Here are 10 things a professional job recruiter does to be your new best friend.
1. Connects you with employers
The best job recruiters know your local market — who’s hiring, who’s planning to hire and the open roles that aren’t yet publicly posted. Professional recruiters build extensive networks and strong relationships with client companies, having earned a solid reputation for delivering talent. That means they know what those employers want.
And a global talent solutions firm such as Robert Half, with offices worldwide, can produce leads outside your area for remote jobs in your field — a huge advantage in this work-from-home world that so many employers now embrace.
2. Connects with you
A good job recruiter will also get to know you — your skills, your goals, your workstyle and your preferred workplace culture. It’s a professional familiarity that goes deeper than any list of attributes and interests presented on a resume.
This personalized approach to working with you is critical to placing you in a job where you’ll be happiest.
3. Acts as your guide
Many Robert Half job recruiters have professional experience in your field, so they understand your passion for your work. As importantly, they know what employers look for in top talent and what they’re willing to pay for it, and they know how to close the deal.
To the job hunter, there’s no better best friend than the one who can give expert advice on how to land the best job and a healthy salary (more on that below).
4. Advocates for your talent
Job recruiters do more than share your resume. They’re in direct communication with hiring managers or their HR counterparts, so your application isn’t treated as another name without a face.
The recruiter can advocate for you, highlight your talents and how they suit the employer’s needs, and vouch for your soft skills (difficult to gauge from only a resume and cover letter, but always of great interest to an employer).
5. Saves you time
Finding a job takes time and energy — both in short supply if you’re already working a 9-to-5. Rather than spending hours each week scanning job boards or preparing applications, you can partner with a job recruiter who can put you in almost instant contact with employers looking for someone with your skillset.
Oh, and those tailored cover letters you stress over, looking for the right words, the right tone, the right touch? Fuggetaboutit! For almost any position you apply for, the job recruiter will be your introduction to the employer.
6. Negotiates compensation
Starting pay for professional occupations is expected to continue to increase in 2024, especially for roles in high demand. That might even be why you’re looking for something new. If so, be sure to benchmark your market value with trusted sources like the most recent Salary Guide From Robert Half.
But talking money and negotiating better benefits is a skill — one that professional job recruiters are very good at. Their access to the latest salary data and knowledge of what perks and benefits are standard in your industry means you’ll have an ally with the insight and acumen to negotiate a compensation package both you and the employer will be happy with.
7. Helps craft an application that sells
Whether you’re an industry veteran or you’re entering the job market with little work history, you need a carefully crafted resume that’s compelling, honest and customized for the role you’re pursuing. Putting that together can be a tall order, even overwhelming. But you can spare yourself a lot of stress and pain with an expert in your corner. A job recruiter will offer honest feedback on your drafts, advice on how to highlight your talents and successes, and where to tailor your resume for the positions you apply for. If you have a portfolio to show, the recruiter can help with that, too.
The job recruiter’s job is to help you get a job. They’re going to make sure your application presents you in the best possible light.
8. Supports professional development
A professional recruiter can help you identify and build up the skills you might need for the roles you’re pursuing. To help them build their skill set and stay competitive, Robert Half offers job candidates access to a personalized learning experience with over 70,000 training options across all languages in a variety of formats, including videos, audio books, online courses and more. That’s not a benefit you’d want to shrug off.
Finding a job might be your immediate goal, but adding to your expertise could enhance the trajectory of your career path and increase your salary potential.
9. Provides interview coaching
Read any respected book or blog on finding a job, and you’ll find a discussion about the importance of preparing for the phone vetting and interviews. That includes researching the company where you’re interviewing, identifying career highlights and skills to mention, preparing for tough questions, even deciding how formal or informal to dress (important even in a video interview).
A job recruiter can offer guidance on all that. As the one who’s submitted your application or discussed your candidacy with the employer, the recruiter will have insight into how the company operates, its workplace culture and hiring process. If you want to rehearse some awkward questions — such as responding to a question about your on-the-job weaknesses — the recruiter can offer some coaching. By the time you interview, you’ll be able to speak confidently about how you can help the employer be successful and why you’re the best person for the position.
10. Helps you thrive
A good job recruiter will stay in contact even after you’ve found a job. At Robert Half, for instance, recruiters will check in with the candidates they’ve helped place in a new role to make sure all is well.
And that’s not all. If requested, they’ll offer professional development advice and other career tips.
Last word on a recruiter helping you find a job
Whether you’re just starting your career, reentering the workforce after a layoff, or ready to move on to something new or more challenging, a smart job hunt requires strategy and a lot of hard work. Professional networking, researching potential employers, sharpening the resume and crafting cover letters are just the start of a successful job hunt.
You can fly solo on your job hunt, but why wouldn’t you want help finding a job? After all, finding you a job is what a job recruiter does. Tell a recruiter, “Find me a job,” and let them do the work.
Discover what fields our skilled recruiters specialize in — and how Robert Half can help with your job search.
